Come to think about it -- he was there when Oregon's governor refused to allow another execution to take place on his watch. And I'm positive that Troy was in Connecticut this past spring -- on the day its legislature made it the 17th state to do away with the death penalty.

The state of Georgia may have executed Troy Davis one year ago today, but I continue to see so much of Troy's legacy reflected in our fight to end the death penalty worldwide.

Now it's California's turn. This November, we have an historic opportunity to pass a ballot initiative on the death penalty. Amnesty International has been a proud supporter of the campaign that has been heating up here. Our student and community activists have been busy gathering support for Prop 34, organizing events and activities to educate their communities about the sad reality of California's flawed system and the chance we have to change things.

Another Troy Davis could live right here. In fact, some say he already does. A man named Thomas Thompson was executed in 1998 amid serious doubts about his guilt. And five men sentenced to death under current California law were later cleared of the murder charges that put them on death row.
We believe the death penalty is never the right answer. And as long as the death penalty is on the books, then we will always risk executing the innocent.

Ending the death penalty in California this year would not only be a resounding victory for human rights in our state, but will make a deep impact on the rest of the country.